The strategic plan developed by the SNPA Board of Directors encourages the creation of a publisher development program based on what members have identified as a training void in our industry.

Publishers attending the News Industry Summit in Nashville, Oct. 10-12, will get a taste of this new initiative.

Tom Silvestri, president and publisher of the Richmond (Va.) Times-Dispatch and chairman of SNPA's Executive Development Committee, said the committee "has outlined an approach and invited The Poynter Institute to help create such a program for SNPA members." Any program created would require SNPA Board approval.

He said an expanded segment at the fall SNPA conference in Nashville will "provide a sample of what such a development program could be."

He added, "This live demonstration will focus on helping current publishers and publishers-to-be lead through the chaos and uncertainty to constantly anticipate what's next and have the wherewithal to turn possibilities into positive results. You won't get a certificate for completing the Poynter-led overview, but you'll help SNPA further refine a development program that we hope will be career-changing for our publisher members."

Neil Brown, president of The Poynter Institute, will lead the segment at the News Industry Summit.